Clues to spring

Heading to CMO from Alpine today the air had remnants of smoke from last week's Big Bend National Park grass fire. The fire is out but I noticed smoke settled in low areas.

I had hoped since we hadn't had much spring weather maybe things wouldn't leaf out too soon only to freeze in March (or even April). But no such luck. The Fantex Ash in the courtyard is a slow learner.

I've long ago stopped worrying about it. If it dies, I'm smarter now and will replace it with something more suitable. Half the tree is dead but not from frost. Drought. I wish I would have planted something else there 20 yrs ago. Now it's going to take longer than I have to get a good-sized tree there.

This seems to be the time of year the Arizona Cypress put on their golden blooms.

And House Finches are in their brightest breeding plumage.

My cholla patch is getting big. One of these days - years - maybe a Lucifer Hummingbird will build a nest in it. Here's a fruit, left over from last year, I guess.